Legacy and Local History
The Four Chaplains mural at 137 West Market Street in York, Pennsylvania, was commissioned by the Rotary Club of York in 1998 and painted by Connie Burns Watkins.
Story of the Four Chaplains
On Feb. 3, 1943, the U.S.A.T. Dorchester sunk in the icy Atlantic Ocean on its way to a base off the coast of Greenland. Though tragedy surrounded them, according to those present, four Army chaplains brought hope in despair and light in darkness.
Those chaplains were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed.
As the ship went down, survivors accounts say, the four chaplains linked arms. They had given their own life jackets to others. They offered prayers and messages of courage.
Of the 902 men aboard the ship, only 230 would survive. When the news reached American shores, the nation was stunned by the tragedy and the heroic actions of the four chaplains.
Honoring the legacy
For more than sixty years the Chapel of the Four Chaplains has told the story of their faith, courage and interfaith cooperation through a variety of programs and events.
One important program publicly recognizes and honors outstanding members of society whose lives model the giving spirit and unconditional service to community, nation, and humanity without regard to race, religion, or creed exemplified so dramatically by the Four Chaplains.
The story of the Four Chaplain’s includes not only the background of the Chaplains, their interfaith cooperation, and their selfless sacrifice but it also includes the memories of the close to seven hundred lives lost that day, the stories of the survivors, the bravery of the rescuers and those who are inspired even today.
Four Chaplains Memorial of York County brief history
The Four Chaplains Memorial of York County organization started in the early 1990s, when a small committee gathered with the mission to honor the Four Chaplains and, in particular, Rabbi Goode.
Gordon Freireich, former editor of the York Sunday News, and Allen Damashek, a local businessman and director of the York Jewish Community Center, led the group, with the initial idea to host an event, invite a speaker, and raise money for a scholarship.
They never imagined the Four Chaplains Prayer Breakfast would become the annual event it is today, with hundreds of attendees, thousands of dollars awarded in scholarships, and an endowment fund with the York County Community Foundation.
2021 Board of Directors
President: Glenn D. Miller
Vice President: Lou Lavetan
Terry Gendron
Nathan
Rachel Kohr
Mike Sharp
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